KB Electronics continues to dominate the fractional to 5-horsepower DC Drive Speed Control market. While DC motors and drives offer the user the ultimate in high performance, small size and low cost, small AC motors and drives are challenging that very concept. Our goal was to develop a line of AC Drives that would and could replace DC controls. Today KB offers you, our customer, AC Drives that match the performance of DC drives but fit within the same footprint or are smaller than their DC counterparts.

Everything you have read about KB products in the past is still true however, a whole new chapter of the future of KB Electronics is being written.

Many of our Penta-Power products contain the patented KBMM current limit circuit, other products feature current feedback loops with motor burnout protection. Our PWM controls are short circuit proof and prevent high speed runaway. KB controls will satisfy your most demanding requirements.

Most of today’s motors are of the permanent
magnet type. Under certain conditions, such as frequent starting
or accidental jam ups, the magnets in these motors can become demagnetized.
Demagnetization does not occur instantly but is cumulative with
time. This results in a loss of speed and efficiency at rated torque.
In fact, most motor manufacturers publish a specification sheet
indicating the demagnetization current for their motors.

To eliminate this potential problem, KB’s
engineering staff designed and patented the fastest current limit
circuit available. It is a high-speed, direct-fed™, anti demagnetization
circuit.Your motor will not become demagnetized when using any of
our Penta-Power products.

Some Penta-Power controls have built-in motor burnout
protection. If the motor should stall or jam, our TCL circuit will
shut down the control. For controls without built-in motor burnout
protection, we offer an accessory with this capability, our Current
Sensing Overload Relay module (KBAP-240D).

2. REDUCE PRODUCTION COSTS WITH KB CONTROLS.

Competitors turn up their noses at our (Automatic
Calibrating) Plug-in Horsepower Resistor®, indicating that it
is an unnecessary nuisance. With our Plug-in Horsepower Resistor®
you eliminate the need to calibrate the current limit and IR Comp
trimpots. Accurate setting of these trimpots is required for safe,
reliable and repeatable performance. Each and every KB control is
factory calibrated so that when the proper Plug-in Horsepower Resistor®
is utilized, the control is automatically calibrated…no adjustments
are required.

Our Plug-in Horsepower Resistor® is similar
to a fuse. You select the right size fuse to provide maximum protection.
Likewise you choose the right size Plug-in Horsepower Resistor®
for maximum motor protection. Our competitors offer one control
(maximum rating 1 Hp) and ask you to calibrate the IR and CL circuits
for proper operation. We could have done the same but we have eliminated
the need to have you calibrate the control for proper operation
and motor protection.

If you have multiple applications with various horsepower
motor ranges, it is unnecessary to inventory a large assortment of
controls. One control with inexpensive Plug-in Horsepower Resistors®
will solve your needs and reduce your inventory. No other competitor
can offer these savings.

Many of our more sophisticated controls, such as our NEMA IV and Regenerative Drives, utilize Quick Jumps to select proper horsepower or current settings, eliminating the need to adjust the IR and CL.

This
means reduced production cost since you can eliminate calibrating
each and every control on the production line. The dangers of not
having a properly calibrated control are as shown in table:

Feature

Setting

Functions

Results

IR
Comp

Low

Poor
load regulation

Low
product performance

IR
Comp

High

Unstable
operation and surging

Low
product performance

Current
limit

Low

Loss
of torque

Low
product performance

Current
limit

High

Shortened
motor life

Possible
motor damage

If some tune-up is necessary, KB provides
custom designed trimpot knobs which are easy to use. These knobs protect
the top of the trimpots from grounding. Some competitors trimpots
are not protected and are easily short circuited during calibration.

Why
not reduce production costs by using factory calibrated KB controls?